News from Iran 11/17/2005

Monday, Nov. 14, 2005 Daily Briefing on Iran.
Ethnic Unrest in Iran is Not a Sign of Separatist Sentiments.
*The Islamic Republic of Iran is facing a new wave of domestic violence, with multiple bombings in the provinces of Khuzistan and Baluchistan in the past six months.

*Iran is ethnically diverse. While the recent terrorism may have some ethnic or sectarian component, Iranian nationalism trumps ethnic separatism. Often, regional violence is more a sign of weak central government control and local disaffection than separatist sentiment.

Iran Focus

reported that 75% of the ministers and deputy ministers in the government of hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad come from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Arab News

reported that French Muslims are being told that rather than obeying the laws of the French Republic, they should follow “fatwas” concocted by the Muslim Brotherhood and members of various militant Islamist groups presenting themselves as an alterative to state authority.

MosNews

reported that the work to construct the Bushehr nuclear power plant is 80 % complete.

Tuesday's Daily Briefing on Iran.
Iran Press News: Translation by Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi
Ansar Hezbollah, which is under the direct supervision of Ahmadinejad, is engaged in establishing a multi-lingual (with a concentration on Arabic) satellite television network specifically soliciting resistance in Muslim emigrants affairs in the west. The intention is to use the recent events in France as the perfect launching ground to rouse Muslims against western governments.

Iran Press News

reported that Iran's parliament is conducting an investigation of Ahmadinejad's conduct and may consider impeachment proceedings.

Iran Press News

reported that Italian Defense Minister, Antonio Martino said: Tehran’s regime supports terrorist activities and terrorists and is therefore considered a threat to Italy and all European countries.

Wednesday's Daily Briefing on Iran.
Iran Press News: Translation by Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi
...introduced Mohsen Tasaloti as his nominee for Minister of Oil. <...> A reliable source who spoke on condition of anonymity said that Tasaloti who supported of Mostafa Moin* in the June elections, does in fact hold a U.S. residence permit (a Green Card) and that this issue is expected to enflame the emotions of members of the Islamic Parliament.

Amnesty International

reported that a man was sentenced to death for drinking alcohol.

Iran Focus

reported that more than a hundred people have been arrested in the province of north-western province of Ardebil for “disturbing the peace” and “causing trouble.”

Middle East Newsline

reported that Iran was said to have nearly completed another intermediate-range missile capable of striking most of Europe. The so-called Ghadr missile was said to have a range of up to 3,000 kilometers.

Rooz Online

reported that in his harshest words ever, former president Mohammad Khatami, directed an attack on Iran’s hardliners saying their dogmatic and regressive ideology is similar to that of Bin Laden.

Iran Press News

reported that the spokesman for the regime's judiciary said: "Ganji has a prison sentence and a few months remain on his sentence; it's not like if foreign countries demand his release that we would comply!"

Iran Press News

published a translation of letter by Iranian prisoners asking for international help.